


O Brother, Do Not Follow Me

by Patchouli (lifelesslyndsey)



Series: O Brother [1]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: At the moment, M/M, Pre-Slash, bites in strange places, pack-building, season-two spin-off, stiles knows whats up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 18:03:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4401863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifelesslyndsey/pseuds/Patchouli





	O Brother, Do Not Follow Me

The air had only just began to turn bitter, when Erica and Boyd were returned. They’d been gone a long two weeks, leaving nothing, not even a scent to follow. 

Stiles had known, even without a pack bond, that they’d left of their own accord. No matter how they’d been returned -bloody and bruised and so damn quiet- they’d left all on their own. Whether they were looking for another pack or not, well. Only Erica and Boyd knew. 

Once they’d made that choice, there was no going back. Stiles had done the reading. It took a deeply forgiving Alpha to accept abandoners back into the pack, and Derek, no matter how much he might want or need them, he could never forgive them. He wasn’t in a place to forgive himself, let alone anyone else. He couldn’t forgive his Beta’s, no matter how much he might need too.

But no one else knew that, no one else had done their reading except for maybe Peter, Deaton or Derek. Stiles looked both Boyd and Erica in the eye, and knew the he couldn’t forgive them either. He’d been in that basement too, and had the shit kicked out of him. He had nothing to protect him, no werewolf cushion of healing, but he hadn’t run. He’d...paused, but he hadn’t run. Because he knew where his loyalties lay. 

“Derek can’t accept you back into the Pack.” It wasn’t a lie; Derek couldn’t. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t; it was that he was mentally incapable of calling back those broken bonds. Peter watched him as he spoke, from where he was leaning against the porch rail, at the front of the Hale house. Stiles could smell the paint on the door, still fresh and wet. “You abandoned him in a time of need. Other packs, less lenient packs, would kill you for treason.” He paused, nostrils flaring as he sucked in a long, hard breath. “But we’re not animals. We’re not monsters.” 

“Stiles,” Erica said, plaintive and pleading. Boyd was silent. “You’ve got to understand. You have too----” 

He did, in a way. “I get it. I get why you’d run. But my understanding doesn’t make it okay. You knew,” he hissed, staring down at them. This next part - Stiles hadn’t understood at first. He thought Derek had lied to them, had tricked them, but no...He’d been honest. They’d known the risks and weighed them worth it and ran when things got hard. “He told you about the hunters! He told you that the bite was a gift, but it came with a cost. But you both decided it was worth it. You made a promise, to be loyal to your alpha, and you broke it when he needed you most. Do you really blame him?”

Erica bit her lip. “Boyd...only came to protect me. He didn’t want to. He tried to talk me out of it. I didn’t ask him to come, but...he was protecting the pack, protecting me. He shouldn’t be punished.” Still, Boyd said nothing. 

“That’s not my decision.” Stiles had expected as much. Boyd was pragmatic, but he was blind for Erica.“I’m not a part of your pack. I’m only telling you because...I don’t know why. I don’t know why I’m helping you at all. You’re both ass holes in my book. Derek gave you something, a gift, and this is how you repay him? Flounce as soon as the fists start flying? I would never do that to Scott, and let me tell you, he’s a far worse Alpha than Derek.” Stiles sucked in a breath. “That said, you both need to go to Scott and ask to join his pack.” 

“What.” Boyd blinked. He looked up at stiles, brow furrowed. “McCall isn’t actually an Alpha.” 

“You need a pack more than you need an Alpha.” He couldn’t explain to them, what Scott was. Stiles wasn’t sure himself - but this felt right. He raised a finger, silencing them both before they could speak. “Two wolves make a pack when one of them is an Alpha. Otherwise, they’re just two omegas.” 

“Okay.” Boyd took the information with an easy nodd. “But McCall’s pack is just you and...him. And you’re a human.” 

Human. An afterthought Stiles...tried not to blanch. “Isaac joined the McCall pack when he accepted Melissa McCall’s offer to take their guest room. He was...welcomed into the den of another wolf. It means something. Scott’s pack consists of two wolves, and a human. It’s enough to qualify and form a bond.” Neither Erica nor Boyd argued the information. “Regardless of that, Scott has been acknowledged as leader of a brother pack by your Alpha. A brother pack can be formed within an Alpha’s territory, under the Alphas permission. Joining him is the only way you can stay in Beacon Hills. As part of the treaty forged with the Argents, the Hale Pack will run off any and all omega’s. If they don’t, the Argents have free reign to kill them.” 

“The Argents... How can you even stand by their treaty? How can you even acknowledge it? They broke it.” Erica’s eyes were their usual wide brown selves, but her fangs had dropped. “You Stiles, of all people. I saw what he did to you!” 

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Because they aren’t the only Hunters, Erica. They’ve failed to do their job; more hunters will come to clean up their mess, no doubt. And I want to be ready for that, I want to be able to say that the treaty was kept by our side.” 

“Derek bit Victoria Argent,” Boyd argued, though his voice was flat and even. Pragmaic, as was his way. “He’s already broke the treaty.” 

Rummaging in his coat pocket, Stiles pulled a creased, folded paper out. “Allison Argent gave me this. It was written by Victoria Argent, and it explains in detail what went down. Derek did bite her, but it was her fault. Chris Argent supports the claim.” They’d come to Stiles, which had been a surprised. But, maybe it shouldn’t have been. Allison had been in tears. She hadn’t known they’d been in the jail that evening. She hadn’t known. But like Derek and his Betas, Stiles wasn’t ready to forgive her. She’d almost lost him his father. Still, he took the letter as a peace offering, and collateral. “Her own actions were lead heavily Gerard, who Chris has openly disowned. The treaty stands, should we allow it. Derek would be smart to let it go, to leave it as it is. It’s the safer choice.” 

“Safer?” Erica laughed, her cold, cruel tone returning. “No one is safe with Derek, Stiles. Surely you know that by now. You should know it better than most.” 

“Of course I do!” Stiles resisted the urge to kick her in the shin, if only because she was a girl and it would hurt. “But I made a choice to get involved in this mess. That means it’s my responsibility to see it through.” He shook his head. “Go on. Get out of here. Scott’s home.” 

Boyd faltered. “Will he take us in?” 

Stiles felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but he didn’t bother to check the message. Scott had already told him he’d take in Boyd and Erica, although he hadn’t know then what Stiles was really asking.

“Yeah.” Clenching his jaw, Stiles took a step back. “He’s not your Alpha; no one will ever feel like your Alpha as much as Derek, but Scott’s not a bad leader. Sure, he’s an idiot, but hey, that’s why he has me.” He nodded toward to the trees, where a path miles long would take them to the McCall house. “He’s expecting you.”

No one spoke, not Stiles, not Peter, not even Derek who’d taken to lurking on the questionably sturdy roof of the Hale House, until the Beta’s were long gone. 

“What gave you the right?” Derek asked, but he didn’t sound angry. His voice was flat, even, save for the tiny inflection that proved the words were a question, not a statement. 

“As head of the Hale brother pack,” Stiles began, feeling the words tumble to his mouth, almost verbatim. “Scott has the right to offer sanctuary to any of the Hale pack, should they find themselves needing it.”

Derek laughed, but it was hollow, and hard. “There is no Hale Pack.” 

That answered Stiles silent question. “Peter is part of the McCall Pack, then?” 

“He made Scott,” Derek replied, not allowing his uncle to speak. Peter accepted it. “Peter’s wolf chose to follow Scott. It’s an act of instinct. He’s loyal to those of his own. Scott hasn’t accepted him yet. I’ve offered him sanctuary until Scott accepts him or cuts him out, but he’s not part of the Hale Pack through me anymore. He never will be.” 

“It’s like foster cubs.” Stiles had considered it. Derek had tried to kill Peter, had succeeded on occasion. Derek couldn’t forgive his beta’s, and Peter couldn’t forgive Derek. It made sense. “Alright. Yeah. Okay. Shit.” 

Peter cleared his throat, apparently done with being spoken of, but not to. “I thought the pretty red head was in McCall’s pack now.” 

“Lydia,” Stiles snapped. Peter knew her name. Peter knew her. “She is. Scott invited her when they began the search for Jackson.” The fruitless search, Stiles added inwardly. Jackson was long gone by now. 

“You said the McCall pack consisted of two wolves and a human.” Peter's eyes narrowed, and his smile sharpened. “I should go. This is, after all, pack business.” 

“Don’t hit on Scott’s mom anymore,” Stiles growled. “Don’t talk to Lydia. Don’t even look at Lydia. Give Scott a reason to trust your loyalties. You might not like it,” Stiles shook his head. “But...Scott could use the help. If you go omega.... Scott won't kill you because he won’t kill anyone. And Derek won’t kill you because your family. But me?....Just. Don’t. Don’t go omega.” 

Peter looked at him then, hard and searching. “You set me on fire.” 

“I’d do it again.” 

To his surprise, Peter laughed. “Good luck, Stiles. And...thank you, for the advice.” 

*

When Stiles pulled his eyes away from Peter’s retreating form, he found Derek staring at the ground, his eyes wide and desperate. “I’m an Omega now,” he said. It was true. 

He dropped to his knees, and tried not to smell like fear. But it was hard, not to be afraid. Unzipping his hoodie, Stiles let it fall to the porch. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt underneath it. Tipping his head to the left, he licked his lips. “Can you trust me?” 

“I didn’t bite the other beta’s there.” Stiles could feel Derek’s red gaze on his neck. “You know what it means.” 

“Yeah.” Stiles was known for knowing. “After Peter tried to bite me on the wrist- which, dude. Gross. I got curious. I mean it though.” 

Derek took a step back, and Stiles looked up. He was frowning. “If you wanted to leave, you’d be forced to go Omega. No other pack could take you. Not even Scott. And you know what happens to Omegas.” 

“Well yeah. That was kind of the point.” Derek needed someone that wouldn’t...no not wouldn’t, that couldn’t leave. He needed the surety. After the beta’s, after Jackson...he sort of doubted Derek would be down for biting just anyone. “I don’t do things by halves. This way, it’s beneficial for the both of us. You bite me here, or you don’t bite me at all.” He bared his neck again. 

“It won’t make you an Alpha.” Stiles knew that. “You didn’t even want to be a wolf. There’s no going back from this.” 

“The bite is a gift.” Stiles didn’t look up, just kept his neck stretched long and taught. “But not one I’d have wanted from Peter.” 

“You’re loyalties are to Scott.” 

He twitched, but held himself in check. “You know, this isn’t comfortable. It’s cold, and I’m cramping!” He rolled his eyes. “Scott will always be my brother, but...he never came for me. He never came looking for me when I went missing. It would have been easy for him to find me, and he never even looked. Loyalty should be about give-and-take. Scott’s been a one-way street for a while now. I’ve had his back for so long, he’s forgotten that I’m human and..and that sometimes, I need a little help.” 

“Hence, the neck.”  
“Hence the neck,” Stiles conceded. “It benefits us both.”  
“I didn’t bite the others there because I knew I’d make a horrible Alpha,” Derek admitted. “I knew they’d want to leave.”  
Stiles startles at that, if only for a moment. He looks up at Derek and says, “I think the fact that you considered they might want to leave, and gave them an out...I think that makes you an Alpha I’d be proud to follow.” 

Derek’s hands flexed at his side, and Stiles could see the elongated claws. The desire to sink his teeth in the nearest willing body, to build himself a pack, to gain power- Stiles knew it was strong. 

He tilted his head once more, to expose the curve of his neck. “I could trust you,” he said quietly, honestly. He didn’t quite trust Derek yet, but he could. He wanted too. “We don’t have to be forgotten.”


End file.
